Starting at $75,300 plus on-road costs for the sedan and $77,800 plus on-roads for the estate, the C350e combines the C250’s 155kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 60kW electric motor.

Maximum output is rated at 205kW of power and 600Nm of torque, while sipping fuel at a claimed rate of 2.4L/100km for the sedan and 2.6L/100km for the estate. Mercedes-Benz claims the C350e has a pure-electric range of up to 31 kilometres.

While the C350e can’t match the BMW 330e in price ($71,990 plus on-roads), all-electric range (37km) or fuel-consumption (2.1L/100km), the Mercedes-Benz produces 20kW and 180Nm more than its Bavarian rival, and claims to be 0.2 seconds quicker from 0-100km/h.

Mercedes-Benz says the C350e will come standard with air suspension and pre-entry climate-control - which keeps your car at a comfortable temperature while you’re away.

GLE500e

Next up is the GLE500e SUV, priced from $124,900 before on-road costs - exactly $6000 more than the BMW X5 xDrive40e ($118,900).

While a significant price gap, the GLE500e employs a 245kW/480Nm twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 from the GLE400 coupled to an 85kW electric motor, with a combined output of 325kW of power and 650Nm of torque.

By comparison, the X5 xDrive40e uses a 2.0-litre turbo petrol with a transmission-integrated electric motor which claims a combined output of 230kW of power and 450Nm of torque - 95kW and 200Nm less than the GLE500e.

That extra power helps the GLE500e to be 1.5 seconds quicker from 0-100km/h than the equivalent X5, claiming a 5.3-second sprint, and is capable of reaching 130km/h in EV mode.